Conventional computerized devices, such as personal computers, laptop computers, and data communications devices (e.g., routers, switches, gateways and the like) are configured with programs (i.e., software applications, Operating System applications, etc) that install software applications on the computerized device. Often, the software applications to be installed are comprised of large sets of files that include executable files, dynamically linked libraries (DLL), help files, data files, etc. These large sets of files can take up a considerable amount of storage space within a storage medium such as a disk drive that is accessible to the computerized device on which the applications are installed.
Conventional operating systems attempt to optimize the use of any available (i.e., non-occupied) areas of a storage medium such as a disk by installing software applications in fragmented areas of the disk. Fragmented areas of the storage medium are, for example, non-contiguous areas or regions on a disk that are can be written to in order to store data. Disk fragmentation occurs over time as files are written to and then later deleted form the storage medium. When a file is deleted from the storage medium, it creates an area or fragment of free space on the storage medium. When the operating system is installing a new application, the operating system writes data from files to the fragments so that the fragments do not go to waste.